Jun 20, 2011
(rated PG13, 102 mins)
If you lost the person closest to you, what would you do if you had one chance to bring them back? Rebecca Romijn-Stamos is the mom who says to husband Greg Kinnear, “I don’t want another child, I want Adam” when they lose their son (Cameron Bright) to a tragic accident. And so they visit Robert DeNiro, a mad scientist with cloning ability. The movie focuses on today’s real life genetic technology and what the political and religious issues might be, when choices are given that perhaps one should not take. This slow moving thriller starts out enticing and then fizzles midway attempting to get all “Sixth Sense” on us, and delivering the outcome too late – translation: lots of seat squirming midway through. Kinnear and Stamos give heartbreaking performances in what would be a parent’s worse nightmare. The child actor is reminiscent of Macaulay Culkin’s performance in “The Good Son” and DeNiro is pure evil, at his reassuring, twisted best.
Jun 20, 2011
(Rated PG-13, approx. 99 mins.)
Originally titled All That Glitters and scheduled for an earlier release, the timing couldn’t be worse in wake of singer/star Mariah Carey’s breakdown; the story mirroring her rags to riches story of a young and undiscovered R & B star of the 80’s. While the storyline will appeal to her fans, her style comes off seemingly desperate, as she litters “Glitter” by cheapening her look with too tight clothes (competing with younger pop stars Britney and Christina), and her usual hyper vocals this time less tolerable.
Jun 20, 2011
(Rated R)
Move over Ben Hur. Richard Harris serves as the aging Emperor Marcus Aurelius who orders that Maximus (Russell Crowe) be his successor instead of his son Commodus. Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) thus kills his father and orders the death of Maximus who tries to escape, and so the story begins with slaves, coliseums, and gladiators. Maximus is trained to be a gladiator under the experience of Proxmo (Oliver Reed) who by the way died of a real life heart attack during the final days of filming. Think “Spartacus” in a more sophisticated special-effects movie in 2000. This summer blockbuster type got a jump on the traditional Memorial Day releases. Crowe is perfect in taking the right opportunity to show his unknown versatility in this unusual bad boy role. Crowe’s character is fiction. The others are drawn from history. Following his role as the sympathetic good-guy in “The Insider” Crowe’s follow up as an ancient Rome’s gladiator is exactly what will make him unaffordable for his next film.
Jun 20, 2011
(110 mins., not rated)
The story of a young high school girl (Michelle Rodriguez) with minimal direction and no purpose yet somehow managing to come of age through all things: boxing. Initially she longs to be like her brother (and can throw a better punch) but “she can train but she can’t fight cuz’ she’s a girl” says the trainer. Eventually, despite her dad’s resistance, she begins a grueling routine to become the first woman champion. Of course somewhere in the story just as everything is going according to plan, she s thrown off by Adrian, a promising newcomer who just might steal her heart. Sharing the Grand Jury Prize at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival the story was intriguing with an unusual growing pains twist, but didn’t send me overboard.
Jun 20, 2011
Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey) is an annoying playboy photographer. Even his name is annoying. But this weekend it’s his brother (Breckin Meyer’s) wedding and he’s needed to be there and required to also be all –family-value-oriented. Upon arriving Mead runs into his childhood sweetheart/maid of honor (Jennifer Garner) with little chemistry between the two (until about ¾ of the way through the movie.) After a bitter speech about romance, Mead goes to his hotel room where he’s visited by the Ghost of Girlfriend’s Past in the form of his dead Uncle Wayne (Michael Douglas) who tells him not to make the same mistakes he made with women. Starting with his backyard swing set and moving through the 80s prom and 90s nightclubs, he’s visited by three special ghosts to bring this sleazebag Scrooge to his knees. Unlike most of these romantic comedies this one delivers an emotional impact that will have any audience viewer over age thirty reminiscing about loves lost, wrong turns and romantic regrets. It will also make you sentimental about loving the one you’re with, recognizing that life is short, and sometimes people don’t have the choice in ending up with the love of their life. Two and three quarter Tiaras
